Why 97 companies are opposing Trump's travel ban

Protesters rally in front of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on January 29.

Apple, Google, and more than 90 other companies are pushing back in court against United States President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban, calling it unconstitutional, un-American and bad for the economy.

The companies filed briefs Sunday to back lawsuits from Washington state and Minnesota fighting Trump's travel ban. The ban keeps refugees and travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

Trump has said that his January 27 executive order is necessary to prevent "radical Islamic terrorists" from coming to the US. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

The 97 companies are mostly in the technology industry and include social media companies Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc Non-tech companies partici-pating include yoghurt maker Chobani and jeans-seller Levi Strauss & Co.

Here are some of the reasons why they oppose the travel ban:

It hurts the economy: Immigrants will avoid the US and want to work in other countries where "their immigration status will not suddenly be revoked," the companies argued. They also said that the ban makes it more likely that big companies will move employees overseas or make investments outside of the US.

"Ultimately, American workers and the economy will suffer as a result," the companies said.

HARDER TO RECRUIT STAFF

It hurts their business: The travel ban makes it harder for companies to "recruit, hire, and retain some of the world's best employees", according to the court filings.

The companies also say that the ban disrupts day-to-day operations by making it more difficult to send employees to meetings and conferences abroad because of uncertainty over whether they can return.

It's unlawful: The companies said the executive order violates immigration laws and the US Constitution because it bans people from entering the country based on their place of origin.

It will hurt entrepreneurship: According to the court documents, 200 of the 500 companies on Fortune magazine's list of largest US companies were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. That includes iPhone maker Apple and search company Google, both of which joined the court filing.

"The energy they bring to America is a key reason why the American economy has been the greatest engine of prosperity and innovation in history," the companies said.